Isinglass is a kind of edible and medicinal tonic， which has gained popularity due to its good efficacy in supplying collagen， beautifying health， regulating endocrine， enhancing immunity， etc. However， little efforts are made in relevant study on isinglass， especially the questions that user concerned about. In order to promote the sustainable development of isinglass industry in China， this paper describes the types and characteristics of the popular isinglass from retail market， main components， main functions， and the problems of developing isinglass industry， and proposes that it is necessary to enhance the study of isinglass about identification， classification， functions， quality standards， aiming to provide valuable references for researching the proper edible method and developing products of isinglass.